Boiler feeder



Sept. 23, 1930. s. c. HULETT 1,776,508

BOILER FEEDER Filed March 25, 1929 3 6l 7 i h.. 'til 6 l. 'fill/1111AEckmer C YLEXLIHUCHIN Bymff Allorney Patented Sept. 23, 1930 PATE-Nr"o1-FICE SCHUYLER-C.y HULETT, F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON 301mm Fazzini-:ILY

' Application mea Maren 25, 1929. serial No. 349,801.

My present invention relates to improvements in boiler feeders forsupplying water to the boiler under steam boiler pressure and forautomatically controlling the feed of water to the boiler. While theapparatus of my inventionis applicable for use with various types ofboilers, it is especially designed for use with the steam boilers ofclothes pressing machines used inlaundries, dry cleaning establishments,and other places, for pressing garments of personal wear. e

The water feed apparatus is of the type utilizing a` float actuatingdevice controlled by the level of the water in the boiler, incombination with electrically operated control valves located in acircuit or circuits that includes a duplex switch mechanism operated bythe oat actuating mechanism, to make and break the circuits for theoperation of the valves.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed. In theaccompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of thephysical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined andarranged according to the best mode Ihave thus far devised for thepractical application of t-he principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is an exterior view'of a portion of a boiler equipped with themechanismY of my invention. Figure 2 is a top plan view of the snapdevice forming part of one of the stationary contact members of theswitches. Figure 3 is an enlarged view partlyA in vertical section ofthe loat'control and switch mechanism. Figure 4 is an electrical diagramof parts in the apparatus. Figure 5 is a broken sectional view of thefeed tank with ste-am and water pipes and valves therefor. Figure 6 is aside view showing a portion of the upper one of the duplex switches.

In Figure 1, showing the general assembly of parts, the boiler 1 isshown provided with a feed water tank 2 supported from the boiler as bybrackets 3 and located near the top of the upright boiler. A. water gagetube 4, and steam gage 5 for the boiler are illustrated, and the watersupply for the feed tank is provided from a suitable source through pipe6. A steam pipe 6 is extended from the dome ofthe boiler and providedwith a check valve 7, a hand valve 9, and an electrically operatedcontrol valve 11 from which latter valve the steam pipe 11 projects intothe vtop of the water tank 2.

The water supply pipe 6- is provided with a check valve 8, and a handcontrol valve 10 is rinterposed between the steampipe 6 and the waterpipe 6, and normally closed. The water pipe is provided with anelectrically controlled valve 12 and a U-shaped inlet feed pipe 13located within the water tank with lits mouth terminating just beneaththe top ,tank, with the valve 12 closed, and 7, 9, and

10 open, steam may be introduced through the U-shaped inlet pipe 13 thatis submerged in the water'of the tank.

For automatically controlling the supply of water to the water tank andthe supply of steam to the tank the two control valves 11 and 12 areprovided with solenoid magnets 17 and 18, and these magnets are includedin electrical circuits. The circuits include duplex switches, indicatedras a whole by the numbers 25 and 26 in Figure 3, and these switches areopened and closed, or the circuits made and broken through the action ofa iloat control mechanism ygoverned by the water level in the tank andgage 4.

The float control device comprises a float tank 19 that communicates atits upper and lower ends withthe gage tube 4, and a float 2O of suitabletype, within the tank has a threaded stem 2] which projects from thetank through a suitable packed joint into the housing 22 in which theswitches 25 and 26 are enclosed.v These switches are included in thesolenoid circuit as 23 which receives energy from a. suitable sourcewhich may be a battery 24.

*sof v.

. slot 36 inthe arm 27 and the movement of the The switches and 26 areof similar construction and act with a spring or snap action in openingor closing the control valve circuits. The movable member of a switchincludes an arm 27, and conductor plate 28 to which one et theelectrical wires is attached, the arm and plate being carried on thestem 21. Abov'eothe armvand `plate a conductor head or bushin@ 29 and aninsulated bushing 30 are carried on the stem, and the arm, plate andbushings or heads are clamped on the stem by nuts 31.

The stationary members of the switch, which include resilientlysupported or spring actuated snap devices, include an upright bar 32pivoted within the housing at 33 on an insulated bracket ,'34, and aspring 35 is coiled about the pivot members to urge the uprightbartoward the stem 2l, As best seen in Figure@ the upright bar passesthrough avguide upright `bar is limited thereby.

At'the free end of the pivoted, upright bar is carried a spring or snapdevicein the form of a pivoted and hinged frame that includes pairs Voflinks 37 and 38 that arepivoted together on the bar 32 at39, and thelinks 38 are pivotallyyanchored at. 40 tothe supporting arm 27- ofthefloat-stem 2l. rEhe tree lend of this snap frame carriesthe Contactroller 4l which is journaled in theends ot the ylinks: 37,'and thisroller, as seen-in Figure 6 is designed to roll romgthecontact head 29to theinsulated or nonsconducting head or bushing 30, with a snap actionwhen the circuit is broken.y InvFigure 3, the vtwo rollers 41, one ofwhich is attached to thek upper and the other to the lower snap device,are in contact with the non-conducting or insulated heads of the floatcontrolled switches,

`Wit-h its central pivot 39 passingy across the line of the tension ofthe springs 42, thereby snapping the roller from a conductor head to anon-conductor head or vice versa as the circuit maker is openingorclosing, andv of course the springs retain the roller in lits adjustedposition.

For primingy the boiler` orrfor emergency use I may provide anemerffency supply tank 43 that is connected to the water tank 2 by apipe 44V having a control valve 45, and an overflow pipe 46 from themain water tank to the emergency tank is provided with a control valve47for use in disconnecting the parts.

Assume that the desired level of the water in the boiler is as shown inFigure 3. Should it drop to a point near the bottom of the glass, itfollows that the float 20 will also drop, it being supported by thewater surtace., This causes stem 2l to descend carrying with it the arms27, also the contact heads 29 and insulated heads 30, this actioncausino' the heads 30 to push down on rollers 4l, and at the sam-e timethe arm 2'? pulls link 38 down. `When the pin in roller 4l, and the pin40 in link 38'reach a level lower than the stationary pin 39, thesprings 42 act to accelerater the movement of the roller, whence itmoves to the contact head with a erk. The circuit is now closed and thesolenoid magents l? and: 18` are energized, whence they open valves lland l2, thus` allowingwater to enter tank 2 through pipe i3, and steam Ato enter through pipeV lla. rlhe steam forces `the water outthroiwhvalve l5 which is` nor.- V b rise until the float 20 causes areverse action ot the seen devices and thus breaks the circuit whencethe solenoids are cle-energized and their valves 1l and l2 close byspring action, shutting ohv the steam and water. .Y

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is V l. lna float controlled andelectricallyv operated boiler feed mechanism, the combination with afloat-stem, anar-m carried thereby, a conducting head and anon-conducting head secured with the arm tothe stennot a4 pivoted snapVframe pivot-ally anchored to the arm, and a contact member carried atthe 'tree end of saidsnay trame.

2. ln a float controlled and electrically opn erated boiler feedmechanism, the combina tion with a float stem, an arm, a conductinghead, and. a non-conducting head carried by said stem, of a snap 'trameconrrising stationary pivoted supporting bar, a pivotal, connectionbetween the frame and arm, a spring connecting the extremities of theframe, and acontact rollercarried at the tree end of said frame.

3.- rl`he combination with a float-stemand `a housing, of a pair ofspaced arms carried ion

